Floob-plate of malt-kilns



M. STEWART.

Malt Dryer.

N0. 10,370. Patented-1an. 3,1854;

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MATHEW STEWART, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLOOR-PLATE OF MALT-KILNS.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 10,370, dated January 3, 1854.

T0 all whom it may concer-n f Be it known that I, MATHEW STEWART, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Malt-Kiln Floor- Plates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description' of the construction and operation of thev same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective View of a horizontal section of a small (nine plate) malt kiln, showing my improved plates as laid down and applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, showing the man-v ner in which the improved floor plates are supported and kept in place by the bearing and combining blocks, iron bars, girders and tie wires, over the hot chamber above the furnace. Fig. 3. is a perspective view of one of the improved floor plates, completed. Fig. 4. is a plan view of the same plate as it is out and pierced with small holes preparatory to its edges being bent down on its four sides; and Fig. 5. is a perspective view of the bearing and combining block.

The nature of my improvement relates to the form in which the plates are constructed, to the manner in which they are combined together by means of the bearing and combining blocks and the manner of securing them down to the supporting bars by the aid of wires passing through the holes in the downward or vertical edges of the plates, the ready means provided for the removal of one or more of the plates for repairs or other purposes, the more general diusion of the heat retained over the under side of the plates, the more equalized filtering of the heat through the holes in the plates, and to the uniform smoothness or evenness over the whole surface of the floor.

The best malt-kiln floors have heretofore been made of imported earthen tiles made for the purpose, about twelve inches square and two inches thick, divided into small rectangular compartments on the under side, and pierced with numerous small holes. The expense of obtaining these in connection with the diiculty of procuring them perfectly level (or out of wind) led to the introduction of sheet iron floors. and although these latterA are found to be lbetter than the earthen on account of their cooling more rapidly after shutting ofi" the heat of the furnace, yet, the

fact of the Hoor being constructed of long Sheets lapped and riveted together, renders the substitution objectionable for several reasons, but mainly on account of the di'liiculty of turning and shoveling up the dried malt without splitting or breaking the wooden shovels used for the purpose, and

the liability of large pieces 'of sheet iron riveted together to warp and become objectionably uneven.

To dispense with the 'use of the import-edL tiles and also to obviate all the objections 'l to the use of sheet iron in the' construction of malt-kiln floors is the object of the present invention.

These plates are constructed of plate Orysheet iron (about one sixteenth of an inch l thick, less or more) so that they can be substituted for the earthen tiles without any alteration of the kiln. The iron is first cut in shape as shown in Fig. 4, a plate being. n

distances apart and within the boundaries.'

of the recessed angles (a), about nine to twelve hundred holes (more or less) between one sixteenth and one eighth of an inchin diametereach, are pierced through the plate,

and also a similar hole is made in each ,0f;

the double corners, as shown at The four. edges of the plate are now bent down on a line with the recessed angles (a) at right angles with the face of the plate, thus forming a vertical supporting edge on each of its four sides, ofthree quarters of an inch in depth, as shown in Fig. 3. The bearing and Vcombiningblock (Fig. 5) is made of cast iron, and is about one and one eighth of an inch high, one and seven eighths in. in diameter at the base and one and three eighths in. at the top, having two diametrical slots or grooves (a, b) crossing each other at right angles, each groove being a little more than three quarters of an inch in depth and about a quarter of an inch wide, the width depending in some measure upon the thickness of the sheets out of which the plates are made. The mode of applying these plates is shown in Fig. 2. The kiln is built of masonry, having the place for the malt floor some six feet above the furnace,

in the usual form. Across the kiln, bars of 110' wrought iron (o) about half an inch thick side horizontal, with their ends resting in the masonry and placed twelve inches apart from center to center, supported at suitable distances by a stiff cross girder (CZ) each end of which rests in the masonry also. On each side of the wall an oiset (e) is made about a quarter of an inch higher than the top of the Wrought iron bars, the length and breadth of this part of the kiln being eX- actly adapted to any specified number of plates. The plates (A) are placed With the adjacent. edges or edge resting on the offset in the masonry and supported at the other corners or corner by the bearing and combining blocks (B) Which rest upon the Wrought iron bars (c) one block supporting and combining one corner of each four ad-V joining plates, the vertical edges of the plates, at the corners thereof entering the slots or grooves of the blocks and bearing by these edges on the bottoms of the grooves. All the plates, except those next to the Walls of the kiln rest with their Vfour corners in the slots or grooves of the blocks, and are thus combined closely together. The plates are tied down by Wires (l, 2, 3, 4) to the bars (c) the Wires passing through the holes (f) made in the vertical edges of the plates. 'Ihe Whole of the area of the upper side of the hot chamber is thus covered With the plates, as shown in Fig. 1. The holes in the plates through which the heated air passes are pierced by machinery, so that no bur, rise or rough projections of the edges of the holes are left.

It will noW be apparent that there can be no obstruction to the passage of the heated air through the plates, by the supporting bars, as in the plans now in use, subjecting the malt to unequal degrees of heat. It is also obvious that a regular, even and unobstructed surface or plane is hereby afforded, Which has never been eectually accom-` plished by any of the modes heretofore adopted. Another important point for c011- sideration in favor of these improved pla consists in the fact that when any part o the floor becomes damaged from rust or other cause it is only necessary to substitute` a good plate for the damaged one, whereasV l in the former plan, when sheetl iron is used for the floor, the diliculty of repairing very considerable. i .j

I do not claim the use of perforated sheet l" or plate iron in the construction of malt-f kiln floors; but That I claim as my invention, and desiref` to secure by Letters Patentisl. The characteristic mode in which "IA Iy construct the plates with downward edges. at right angles with the surface of the plate, y. Q substantially and for the purpose as herein j described and illustrated. j 2. I claim the bearing and combining` block with the peculiar arrangement of the slots or grooves, or its equivalent, substan.` tially and for the purpose as herein der 1 scribed. y f

3. I claim the combination of the lates f with the bearing and combining blocks, or y. its equivalent, and the peculiar manner` of securing the plates and blocks down to the Wrought iron bars by means of the wire holes in the vertical edges of the plates oi'ffi their equivalents, substantially and lfor the purpose as herein described and illustrated.

MATHEW STEWART. i

Witnesses: BENJ. MoRIsoN, Ro'r. BUCKMAN. 

